SOUTHEAST EUROPE
To Greece’s north, Cold War-era divisions and their subsequent ethnic conflicts have left a heterogeneous patchwork of countries in the Balkan peninsula, with major structural differences in the neighbouring national economies.
Recent history has also left enduring physical barriers, including segmented road and highway networks. Recent developments, however, have highlighted the enormous benefits that could accrue to the region by overcoming these barriers through closer cooperation and the creation of integrated energy and logistics networks.
Greece gave new impetus to its role in Southeast Europe by championing the quadrilateral summit of Balkan states – an informal initiative bringing its government together with the governments of Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia – to promote their shared priorities of enhanced connectivity and European integration in the region. As the quartet’s oldest EU and NATO member, Greece has brought to the table know-how and vision, as well as influence within international organisations, that benefit the region as a whole.
Having pioneered the creation of the European perspective on Balkan countries since 2003, when it pushed forward the Thessaloniki Agenda, Greece has also helped, through its alliances, to keep EU enlargement in the Balkans on the EU agenda despite the recent setbacks in accession talks.
Meanwhile it has benefitted from greater coordination in representing shared regional interests in major transnational projects, such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the EastMed Pipeline.
The quartet has also played a key role in pushing ahead the China and Central and Eastern European Countries summits (China-CEEC summits), seeking to forge closer ties between China and 17 central and eastern European countries. The 2018 summit in Varna, Bulgaria hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Commercial interests aside, there is a widely shared awareness that only strong institutions can guarantee sustainable growth in the region.
The ratification of the Prespa Agreement serves as a bright though exceptional example of peace-making in a region marred by resurgent nationalism and ethnic tensions. Greece has increased its diplomatic weight, as a result of this achievement, which some see as a template for solving other disputes in the region through multilateral negotiations. In this respect, Greece must now support the implementation of the agreement against continuing challenges, all the while nudging North Macedonia towards shared values and respect for international law.